Keloria
Keloria '''(sometimes called the '''Kelorian Empire) was a near-mythical ancient civilization that existed in eastern Thossos from around 7800 PC to 3550 PC. The Kelorians rose from small beginnings to form the world's earliest large civilization, and are revered today for their influence and dramatic downfall. History Not much is known about the very early history of the Kelorian peoples.It is believed that they originally came from the region around the eastern shores of Lake Kelor, from which they take their name. The tribe was somehow involved in a struggle with the Amarya in the south for control of the Thressen river valley around 8200 PC. It is believed that the Kelorian people were unsuccessful in their battles, and their territory significantly shrank in size over the next few hundred years. Following this defeat, Keloria was subjugated and taxed by their neighboring states. This was in intense period of cultural shift in the Kelorian territories: There was a restructuring of the government into a theocratic structure, possibly coup brought about by very powerful religious leaders. This was an uncharacteristic change for civilizations at the time. But by far the most important change was Keloria's discovery of steel. At the time, the most advanced metallurgy that existed was bronze tools. There is some evidence that iron was beginning to be worked in other areas of Catriya, particularly around the Sistillian mountains, but this was superseded immediately by the spread of steel weapons via the Kelorian Conquest. Kelorian Conquest Main Article: The Kelorian Conquest Around this time, battles began to be fought around Lake Kelor. It is unknown what pressures caused the Kelorians to engage in expansion, but they were extremely successful. Using superior steel weapons, the expanding Kelorians easily defeated the Amaryans in battle. Their capital, Amar, was renamed Kas Kelor, meaning 'new Kelor' in the Kelorian language. This was the beginning of a series of expansions, wars, and conquests that are commonly known as the Kelorian Conquest. Within only a few generations, most of Catriya had been put under indirect rule by the new Kelorian Empire. Imperial Period Following the Conquest, Keloria became even more ambitiously expansionist. By 7000 PC they had claimed all territory along the Lorothosian Sea, and coastline as far west as Iniar. Aroudn 6300 PC, a second expansionist push saw the empire grow substantially as Keloria conquered central Nathossos and gained control of the Kelorian Gulf. This opened up vibrant new markets for Kelorian goods, and the new territories became quite wealthy. So much so that in 5500, the imperial capital was moved from Kelor to Kye, on the Kelorian Gulf. The Empire was only loosely coherent; it was a complex system of regional government, colonial appointments, direct rule, and simple taxation. The main threads of the Kelorian culture, language and art, is what tied the Empire together. Even when parts of the Empire fought itself, these ties remained. Despite its enormous longevity, very little is known about this period of Kelorian history. Kelorian Disappearance The next major event in Kelorian history is their infamous disappearance. Around 3550 PC there began a rapid decline in population in the Empire, beginning in the north. This trend continued for decades, until only the southern coastal cities had sizable populations of note, and it's estimated that even these cities had shrunk by more than 80%. Wars broke out among the Imperial governors and armies, further decimating the population. Without the trade networks to support them, the remaining Kelorian cities began to crumble and the remaining Kelorian people migrated elsewhere. This rapid decline was a massive blow to Thossos; it left a power vacuum of enormous scale, and due to its sheer unexpectedness it has been call the Disappearance. Culture It is hard to remark on Kelorian culture. Their civilization was so long that there were multiple versions of common culture throughout the millennia. Most depictions of Keloran life are taken from the early imperial era, circa 6000 PC. Religon Main Article: Kelorian Religion In the tribal period, Keloria, like most of Thossos, held a variety of folk beliefs, such as belief in the Sun god. Early in its history, Keloria drastically changed its beliefs. Kelorians developed a polytheistic pantheon, typically consisting of seven gods. This change was sudden and possibly political, as it coincided with the rise of Kelorian theocracy. The fine details of the early Kelorian Religion are unknown, but we do know that they believed in a cosmic structure heavily tied to mathematics. Their gods were represented by a physical forms: a cube, a sphere, a tetrahedron, and a dodecahedron, with the fifth god represented simply by a hexagon. Because there is not a solid form composed entirely of hexagons, the Kelorians regarded the number 6 as evil. The religion posits that the world was created just before recorded history began, when the god of the sea drank ocean down to reveal the land, while keeping Lake Kelor as a sacred remnant of that ancient sea. The remaining gods had parts in the creation of humans, animals, and culture. Sculpture and Art Main article: Kelorian Art Nathossos is littered with the ancient statues the Kelorians carved, many larger than 100 feet tall: some of the tallest statues ever made are Kelorian in origin. Kelorians were master carvers, creating many different works from stone, such as temples, statues, monuments, and geometric shapes, in honor of their gods. Frequently they would carve directly out of hillsides or rocky protrusions, working with the landscape. High value was placed on human sculpture in Keloria. Almost no examples of two dimensional work exist, figural or otherwise. Statues of heroes, kings, emperors, and deities cover their former territory. Nearly every building they made was adorned with multiple statues of important figures, from temples to homes. Kelorian artists were also fascinated by geometric forms, likely influenced by their religion. Many examples of solid rock cubes, spheres, and pyramids exist. Towards the end of their reign, Kelorians created increasingly more complex forms, such as the famous Trasak, which currently rests in the gardens of Kye. The exacting precision of these forms has lead to their enduring fame around the world. Architecture As with their art, Kelorian architecture favored stark geometry. Straight lines, intricate and exact patterns, and smooth surfaces are hallmarks of Kelorian buildings and temples. As with their statues and monuments, colossal scales were favored by Kelorian architects. Many of their ruins are still among the tallest ever built. Language The Kelorian language is a descendant of the original language spoken by humans when they came to Thossos. It was considered a dialect of the Amaryan language until the latter was completely wiped out in the Kelorian Conquest. Enough carvings exist, primarily in temples, to allow us to decipher the language. The Kelorians left almost no written works behind. Their simplistic architectural motifs only rarely incorporated writing. The few books that were left after the Disappearance have almost all been destroyed in the 50 centuries since. Only two are known to exist. Category:Places Category:Nations